Finding Treasure

Legend says that you’ll find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but—due to the nature of rainbows—the closer you get to the end, the farther away it moves, or it disappears altogether. You can’t ever really find the end. Or can you?

We were chasing a rainbow one day in the middle of Wyoming as we drove down a rain swept highway. The storm was broken and spotty. In spots the rain fell in torrents, elsewhere the sun shone bright and warm. The rainbow was far in front of us, but it was getting closer with every mile. I expected it to recede as we drew nearer, as rainbows always seem to do, but this rainbow was different. It didn’t recede. To my astonishment, we drove right into it and suddenly…we found the end of the rainbow! It ended right on my windshield, slightly distorting my vision of the highway.

“We are the gold at the end of the rainbow,” I joked with my mother who was traveling with me.

Just a joke, but at the same time a profound truth. The most valuable treasure is not found out in the world where we often seek it. It is not found in money, fame, a large home or a position of power. The most valuable treasure is found right within our own hearts. It is the ability we have to feel, to learn, and to love. It is in the joy that we can bring to others when we take the time to care and in the sense of joy we feel ourselves when we allow ourselves to be truly present in the moment. Our lives are the gold which we add to our bucket day by day through our experiences and the wisdom we gain from them.

The end of the rainbow taught me that all that I really need has been within me all along. There is nothing I lack; I simply have to let it multiply and grow. This happens easily when you consciously let the rainbow light within you shine out to the world. Let your light shine and it will illuminate the treasure you are.